Paying the Price
by spankfictiongal4ever
Summary: AU "The Music Box". Post-ep & "filler scenes" about how Charles & Caroline deal with Laura's theft and how Nels Oleson deals with Laura's theft & Nellie's blackmail of her. Contains the whipping of children. Do NOT comment if that offends you!


**Author's Notes: **Before going **ANY **further, **PLEASE **click on the name above to go to the author's profile page, and R**EAD **the info on the profile page. This story contains scenes of **SEVERE** spankings/whippings of 19th century children. If that offends you, **PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER! **(and if you do, do** NOT** leave nasty comments/flames)

Do NOT post ridiculous reviews saying that the characters are OOC and would never behave that way, and/or that whipping children is child abuse (because it was NOT considered abuse in the 19th century, [which is when this story is set] and Laura Ingalls Wilder **herself** recounted a whipping with a strap that she got from her father at the age of 5-6 [in the book, "Little House in the Big Woods"] for fighting with her sister)

**You have been warned! If you choose to read further, do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT flame me!**

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><p>I don't own any of the characters, except for the ones that I create. The "Little House on the Prairie" characters belong to the estate of the late Laura Ingalls Wilder, Blanche Hanalis, William F. Claxton, Maury Dexter, Victor French, Michael Landon, Leo Penn, Ed Friendly, John Hawkins, and any &amp; all the other creators, writers, producers and directors of this TV show, as well as Ed Friendly Productions, NBC Productions, Worldvision Enterprises, CBS Television Distribution, Hallmark Channel, and any other channel where this show is in syndication. But I've written this story, I own this story, and all the others that I write, or have written. Please do not use, copy, post elsewhere, or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form without my permission. Thanks!<p>

Please read and review. Be kind, yet please give me honest feedback. If you have a negative comment, it is okay to post it, but also include some practical suggestions on how I could make the story better. I love to write stories and poems and I want to be a good writer so I don't mind negative comments as long as they are not flames. Positive and/or helpful advice and pointers are appreciated and welcomed. Negative, AND unconstructive feedback is not, and will be deleted. Otherwise, feel free to write what you think, with the exception of flames. Thank you!

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**Summary: **A "Little House on the Prairie" spanking fic, that is based on the "Music Box" episode, that is a "filler scene" for the "off-screen scene" (not showed on the show itself, but its occurrence implied) where Nels Oleson gives his daughter, Nellie, a whipping for making fun of Anna's stuttering.

**Rating: **PG to PG-13. Contains scenes of corporal punishment of a preteen girl in the 1870s-1880s, that would be considered **CHILD ABUSE **by 21st century standards.

However, while the author is **AGAINST** the spanking (& other corporal punishment) of children & non-consenting adults in **REAL-LIFE**, readers of this story need to remember (and always keep in mind) that this story is set in the 19th century! And back in those days, physical punishment (even **HARSH **physical punishment that would be considered child abuse in the modern era) was not only legal and perfectly acceptable back then, but even encouraged. It was a time when the majorit of people lived by the proverb, "Spare the rod, and spoil the child", and children were not ony regularly spanked, but were also hit with a variety of much more severe implements, including hairbrushes, rulers/yardsticks/pointers (usually at school), wooden spoons, paddles, rods, switches (rods made from tree branches), belts, straps, strops, and whips.

Now of course, fortunately, civilization is evolved or is evolving, and such barbarity against children is ILLEGAL & grounds for a child abuse complaint (and removal of the children by the government). Even spanking children with an open hand/palm is generally disapproved of by society, and STRONGLY DISCOURAGED by all the experts (who in my opinion, are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!)

But this story is **NOT **set in the 21st century when such brutality (like whipping kids with a strap) would be almost-universally condemned by society (with the exception of maybe religious fundamentalists & Bible-thumpers) and instead is set in the 19th century when **SEVERE **corporal punishment was considered an **ESSENTIAL **part of raising children.

Furthermore, as stated **CLEARLY **on the author's profile page (which, at the top of the page, you were asked to read, **BEFORE **going any further!), the author is a "spanko" (also called "spankophile") who is someone who has a kink (or fetish!) for spanking, and gets pleasure from being spanked (or spanking other consenting adults) and/or reading or writing stories, or watching videos of it.

As a "spanko" I LOVE reading & writing stories where **FICTIONAL **people (especially children & teens) get spankings and other corporal punishment.

But I do NOT, **IN ANY WAY **support corporal punishment of children or other non-consenting individuals in real life (with the RARE exception of maybe a parent smacking their child out of instinct & fear, when their kid does something dangerous like running into a busy street), and **STRONGLY OPPOSE ALL FORMS OF CHILD ABUSE & VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN, INCLUDING "SPANKING"!**

The punishments depicted in my **FICTIONAL **stories should **NEVER BE USED ON REAL-LIFE CHILDREN! **Children are **HUMAN BEINGS **entitled to respect for their personal dignity and their emotional & physical boundaries. Spanking children in real life is **WRONG**! It is NOT really spanking, but is just a candy-coated euphemism for VIOLENCE, period! Violence begets violence and kids learn what they live!

Hence, spankings (in **ANY **form!) should only be given to imaginary children in FICTIONAL stories, or to consenting adults who desire spankings, in real life! :p

**Setting: **This fanfic starts in the scene where Laura comes into her house drenched from the rain and admits to her parents & Mary about her theft of Nellie's music box, and Nellie's blackmail of her.

Also since I don't know exactly how old the characters (Nellie, Laura, Mary, Willie, etc.) are in this fic, I'm just going to estimate their ages to the best of my ability.

**Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at:

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

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><p>It was late in the evening &amp; was raining heavily when 12 year old Laura finally arrived home where her worried parents &amp; elder sister Mary were waiting for her.<p>

"I got caught in the rain." Laura said as she opened the front door, and stood in the doorway, dripping wet.

Charles put down the coffeepot he was pouring from, with a chuckle. "Oh, I guess you did!" he exclaimed as he and Caroline rushed over to their soggy daughter.

"Let's get you by the fire!" Caroline said as she and Charles led Laura over to the fireplace. Charles started wringing the water out of Laura's braids, as Caroline started undoing the back of Laura' wet dress. "Mary, will you get her some dry clothes please?"

"Wait a minute, Mary," Laura stopped her sister. "I have something I have to say to you – all of you."

"It can wait!" interrupted Caroline

"No it can't wait, " replied Laura as her father continued squeezing water from her hair, and her mother was unbuttoning her dress. "Last Friday when I was at Nellie's house, I took a music box..."

"Took it?" Caroline repeated in surprise as Charles stopped wringing water from Laura's braids, and stared at his daughter.

"She didn't give it to you?" he asked as Laura shook her head sadly.

"No I s-s-stole it..."

"Laura!" exclaimed Caroline looking at her daughter, reproachfully

"It was so beautiful!" explained Laura. "She didn't care about it at all! She just threw it down on the bed. I always wanted something like it so bad! I was going to bring it back, but I broke it. She caught me with it. I was so scared I told her I'd do anything she said if she wouldn't tell – if only I'd know what it meant!"

"She made you do all those things?" Mary asked as Laura nodded turning to her father.

"I didn't want to tell you, because I knew how disappointed you'd be in me. I thought I could figure out a way to make it right by myself. But I couldn't!"

Charles showed a quick small smile. "The reason you couldn't is you were too busy avoiding the only real way. Telling the truth!"

"I know!" Laura admitted looking at her father before lowering her eyes. "And I'm willing to take my medicine."

Charles glanced at Caroline before turning back to Laura. "And whatever a PART of that medicine will be, will be up to Mr. Oleson. We'll go into town tomorrow, and see him, all right?"

"Yes sir."

Caroline turned to face her daughter. "NOW can I get you into some dry clothes?"

"Let me help her!" Mary interrupted her mother as Laura turned to her.

"Mary, I'm sorry about all the things I said to you," murmured Laura softly. "And that I hurt you."

Mary looked at her younger sister sympathetically. "It's okay, Laura, I understand!" she said, as her voice started to break & she got teary-eyed. "I really do!"

Speechless, Laura walked over to Mary, and the two sisters hugged, as Mary smiled.

"And now that you two have made up, can we please get Laura out of those wet clothes? begged Caroline with a slight chuckle. "Mary, will you please go up and bring down a dry dress for Laura?"

Mary nodded. "Sure Ma!" she said as she headed to the ladder, climbing the steps up into the loft where she & Laura slept.

While Mary was up in the loft getting another dress for her sister, Caroline took off Laura's wet dress & petticoats, leaving her standing in her bloomers in front of the fireplace, warming up. As she stood there, Charles watched her silently for a few moments before speaking.

"And Half-Pint, after you warm up a bit, and your Ma & Mary get you into some dry clothes, I want you to go up into the loft, take off your bloomers and stand in the corner & wait for me." Charles told his daughter sternly. "You and I are going to have a good 'discussion' about lying & stealing and hiding things from your parents. Do you hear me?"

Laura sighed, knowing what a 'discussion' with her father meant, in THIS context. "Yes Pa!" she whispered meekly. "I understand!"

Just then, Mary descended the ladder steps, carrying Laura's pink calico dress, and handed it to Caroline. "Here, Ma!"

"Thanks Mary!" replied Caroline, as she draped the dress over one arm, and took Laura by the arm with the other hand, and led her into her & Charles's bedroom.

In Caroline & Charles's bedroom, Laura stood next to her parents bed, as Caroline hung the dress on the back of a chair, and motioned for Laura to sit down on the bed.

"Sit down, Laura," commanded Caroline, as she went over to her vanity table, picked up her hefty wooden hairbrush and walked back over to her daughter.

Laura's heart sank, as she saw her mother coming over to her carrying her hairbrush. But then, as Caroline sat down beside her, and grasped one of her braids, Laura let out a huge sigh of relief. Undoing the hair-ties, Caroline unbraided Laura's damp hair, brushing it out with the hairbrush, as Laura winced at the occasional tangle & knot. Caroline brushed Laura's hair till it shone before, rebraiding it and tying the ends with the hair-ties, before finally speaking.

"Stand up, Laura!"

Laura obeyed, and as she did, Caroline grasped her by the arm, pulling her closer, towards her lap. Once Laura was standing, right in front of her, Caroline quickly grabbed the waistband of Laura's bloomers & undid the strings, letting them fall to her knees and leaving her bare from waist to knees. Caroline then let go of Laura's arm, and began lecturing & scolding her daughter, occasionally wagging her finger in disapproval.

"Now Laura, you already know that what you did was very wrong, so I'm not even going to let you try to defend it," stated Caroline. "Your Pa & I heard your explanation – if you can call it that, but it does NOT in any way, excuse your behavior! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma." Laura nodded with a sigh. "I know!

Caroline cleared her throat before speaking again. "And it does NOT matter how beautiful the music box was, or whether Nellie did not care about it or not, that does NOT give you the right to just take it! You should know better than to steal, you're old enough to know better than to steal – no matter WHAT the reason is!" she scolded. "And if stealing Nellie's music box wasn't bad enough, even after Nellie caught you, rather just coming to your Pa & me, and admitting what you'd done, instead you let Nellie blackmail you, just to avoid telling the truth and facing the consequences of your behavior! What were you thinking, Laura?"

"I don't know Ma!" Laura whined.

Angered by Laura's answer & her whiny tone, Caroline immediately grabbed her by the arm and swiftly delivered a half-dozen HARD stinging smacks to her bared backside. "Laura Elizabeth Ingalls! You know that 'I don't know' is NOT an acceptable answer!" she yelled. "Now, I asked you a question, young lady! What were you thinking, letting Nellie blackmail you like that?"

"I guess I WASN'T thinking, Ma!" admitted Laura honestly. "I just wanted to keep her from telling on me. I didn't want you & Pa to find out, because I knew how disappointed you'd be in me!"

Caroline shook her head in disbelief. "And didn't you think that the truth WOULD come out, eventually, and that we would be even MORE disappointed by the fact that you tried to cover up what you had done?"

"I didn't think about that. I was just so scared! I just wanted to keep you and Pa from finding out," said Laura quietly. "Which is why I told Nellie I'd anything she said if she wouldn't tell – if only I'd know what it meant!"

"And that's ANOTHER thing!" Caroline rebuked her daughter. "As if it weren't bad enough that you stole Nellie's music box, and let her blackmail you, on top of that, you even let Nellie blackmail you into hurting a sweet innocent little girl like Anna, instead of just confessing what you did and putting an END to it, once & for all!"

Laura hung her head in shame & remorse. "I know Ma! I already apologized to Anna!"

"That's good, Laura!" Caroline nodded in approval. "But its not enough – nor will it get you out of the punishment you deserve!"

"I know," sighed Laura as her mother continued speaking.

"Now your Pa will be having his own 'discussion' with you about your behavior, and your choices," said Caroline. "But that does NOT mean that I'm not going to have my say too!"

"Yes, Ma."

"Now before you & your Pa have a talk, you and I and my hairbrush are going to have a good discussion about stealing, lying – especially lies by omission, and hurting innocent people in an effort to cover up things you've done & hide them from your parents. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Ma! And I'm sorry!" replied Laura apologetically. "I am really sorry!"

"You should be Laura!" Caroline scolded her daughter. "But I reckon you will be a LOT sorrier, not to mention, sorer, by the time your Pa & I get through with you tonight! Do you hear me?"

Laura nodded sadly. "Yes Ma."

Just then, in a split-second, before Laura even had the chance to realize that it was time, Caroline had pulled her across her lap, face-down as Laura sighed in resignation, accepting her inevitable fate.

Once her daughter was properly situated over her knees, Caroline raised her hand up as high as she could, before bringing it crashing down, with a RESOUNDING SMACK on Laura's bared bottom.

Laura gasped at the intensity of the first smack, her eyes filling with tears as a volley of rapid-fire, painful smacks followed the first.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Caroline's smacks were so sharp & stingy that by the 5th smack, Laura could not help herself, and reached back with her hand, trying to cover & rub her stinging unprotected backside. But after years of spankings, first on the receiving end as a child & teenager, and then later, on the delivering end, Caroline was an expert in spanking naughty young children, and she was prepared for that, immediately grabbing Laura's hand, and holding it out of the way, without missing a beat..

After a few more smacks, Laura started kicking her legs up and down, but once again, Caroline, was well-versed in the avoidance tactics of kids being spanked, and was prepared for it. So she just raised up her right leg, clamping it down on top of Laura's legs – and thus unable to move much at all, and with no other recourse Laura just put her head down and sobbed as Caroline rained stinging spanks down on her bottom and thighs.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

After two dozen fiery-hot spanks, Caroline paused for a moment. Laura was sobbing loudly, and her bottom & thighs were a bright pink all over. Caroline let Laura cry for a couple minutes, before she reached over and picked up the heavy wooden hairbrush lying on the bed beside her – the same hairbrush that her own mother had used for spankings when Caroline & her siblings were children.

Sensing her mother's movement, and knowing without looking, that Caroline was reaching for the hairbrush, Laura screwed her eyes shut tight, and gritted her teeth, clenching & unclenching her buttocks in fearful anticipation, wondering when the first swat would come – but having no way of knowing until it was too late.

There was a slight pause as Caroline held the back of the hairbrush against her daughter's backside, and let Laura stew for a few moments, knowing what was about to happen, but NOT when. Through her sobs, Laura sighed in relief, feeling the cooling wood against her warm & stinging pinkish-red behind – and even though she knew it wouldn't be cool for long, and would soon be the source of an unbelievable burn, still she was grateful for the respite. A respite that was all too brief as just a few seconds later, Caroline raised the brush up high, and...SMAAAAACCKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

A sizzling red-hot burn suddenly exploded on the center of Laura's bottom, right in the middle of her two buttock cheeks, and Laura threw back her head, screeching at the top of her lungs. "YEEOOWWWWW!"

Laura shrieked so loud that not only everyone in the house, but even Charles, who was out in the barn, finishing up his evening chores heard her. Mary who was in the main room, sitting in the rocking chair, reading a bedtime story to Carrie, heard the smacks and heard Laura scream, and she sighed in sympathy. But knowing there was nothing she could do unless she too, wanted to join her sister over her mother's knee, she just kept on reading to Carrie, as the sounds of Laura's spanking & her wails & screams filled the Little House.

That first smack was immediately followed by another & another, barely leaving any time in between for Laura to even catch her breath. And even though Laura had been spanked COUNTLESS times with her mother's hairbrush (among other things!) over the years, each time she got another spanking with it, it was like the pain of it was new to her all over again.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK

As the merciless wooden hairbrush smacked into her hindquarters, again & again, over & over, Laura yelled in agony. She bucked & squirmed over her mother's knees, thrashing her head, and howling loudly, begging her mother to stop, as Caroline peppered her backside with HARD sizzling swats. She made sure to cover every inch of Laura's bottom, smacking it into a fiery red burn, before moving downwards to her thighs, and the especially tender areas there, particularly in the "sit-spot".

Each smack was like being branded with a hot iron, and Laura screamed & wailed till she was nearly hoarse, her sobs occasionally punctuated with an ear-piercing shriek, when the hairbrush crashed into a tender area on her thighs or a particularly sore spot on her behind. Yet, Caroline didn't miss a spot, spanking Laura all over her backside from the top of her bottom, all the way to the end of her thighs – and no matter how much Laura wriggled around, yelling, and bucking & squirming, throwing her head back & forth, and trying to swing her backside out of the reach of her mother's hefty wooden hairbrush, it was all to no avail.

Because, after years of experience, both from getting spankings growing up, and then later on, from spanking her own daughters, Caroline Ingalls was an expert, and she had a firm grasp on her daughter. Laura wasn't going anywhere until her mother decided that she could. There was nothing that Laura could do, but just lie there over her mother's knees and take whatever punishment she had coming.

Laura's rear end was a bright scarlet red, with a few purplish bruises forming in certain spots, and she was sobbing so violently that she was unable to even catch her breath. She tried desperately to suck air into her lungs but was thwarted every time, because the moment she tried to inhale, the infernal hairbrush spanked her again, taking her breath away all over again.

SMACK! SMACK SMACK! SMACK SMACK! SMACK SMACK! SMACK SMACK! SMACK SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

When Caroline finally put the brush down, after two dozen swats, Laura was a screaming, sobbing mess. Her bottom & thighs were a deep crimson red, and mottled with purplish-blue bruises. Laura's face was red & wet, covered with tears, and she was sobbing hysterically & gasping for breath.

Caroline let Laura lie across her lap, crying for a few minutes, before she finally helped her to her feet. As soon as she was standing, Laura's hands immediately flew behind her, rubbing her inflamed backside in an unsuccessful effort to try to massage away the intense sting. She jumped around, doing the dance of a well-spanked child, crying uncontrollably all the while. Caroline gave her daughter a few minutes to rub & jump around, sobbing, before speaking.

"Okay Laura, that's enough," said Caroline, smoothing down the wrinkles in the apron covering her dress. "Now I want you to take off your bloomers, and put them down here on the bed, and then go stand in the corner until you get yourself calmed down. Once you've stopped crying, you're going to go up into the loft and stand in the corner as your Pa asked and wait until he comes up to talk to you. Is that clear?"

"Y-y-yes, Ma!" gasped Laura through her sobs, as she reached down and removed her bloomers, putting them on the bed beside her mother, before trudging over to the corner, frantically rubbing her burning rear-end all the while.

"That's enough rubbing, Laura!" commanded Caroline, sternly. "Hands on your head! I just want you to stand there with your bottom burning and think about your spanking and why you got it! And NO RUBBING! If I catch you rubbing your behind while you're standing in the corner, you're going to go right back over my knee, and I do NOT think that is something that you would want, is it?"

"No, Ma!"

"I don't think so!" Caroline said as she stood up from the bed. "So you're just going to stand there with your hands on your head until you've composed yourself, and then once you are, you are going to go straight up into the loft to wait for your Pa. Do you understand?"

"Yes Ma!

Caroline then left the bedroom, and returned to the main room of the house, where Mary was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Carrie, and reading her a bedtime story. Glancing at her two daughters, Caroline saw Carrie was almost falling asleep in her eldest sister's arms.

"I'll take her now, Mary!" said Caroline softly. "I'll put her to bed."

"What about her supper, Ma?"

Caroline shook her head. "Its all right, she's almost fast asleep." she whispered, gently taking Carrie out of Mary's arms. "I'll set aside some food for her, and if she wakes up later and is hungry, I can feed her then. I just don't have the heart to wake her – look at her, she's fast asleep! I'll put Carrie to bed and and you can get to your homework."

Mary rose from the rocking chair obediently. "Yes, Ma!" she said, getting her books and slate, and settling herself at the table. Caroline carried Carrie into her bedroom, and tucked her in under the covers, staying with her for several minutes, until she was sure her youngest daughter was asleep. Then she returned to the main room, just as Charles, who had finished the chores out in the barn, was coming inside.

Charles hung his hat & coat on a hook on the wall, and sat down as Caroline poured him a cup of coffee, then got one for herself before sitting down too, right across from her husband. Charles & Caroline sat drinking their coffee at the dining table, where Mary was seated, obediently doing her homework, as the three of them heard the soft sobs emanating from Charles & Caroline's bedroom.

"So I take it you had your own little 'discussion' with Laura about her behavior?" remarked Charles with a wry chuckle. "I could hear it all the way out in the barn!"

"Yes I did," admitted Caroline, before taking a sip of her coffee. "You are free to have your own 'discussion' with Laura, but I wanted to have my say."

Charles nodded in approval. "Sounds like you did a pretty thorough job, from what could be heard."

"Yes, well, I want this to be a lesson Laura will never forget! One that she will ALWAYS remember for the rest of her life!"

"Oh it will be!" agreed Charles. "And after I'm finished with her, she's going straight to bed with no supper – hopefully a sore bottom & an empty stomach will teach her a lesson she'll never forget!"

Caroline nodded in agreement, as she and Charles sat at the table, drinking their coffee while Mary worked on her homework. After a few minutes, when Laura had quieted down, and the cries coming from the bedroom had stopped, Caroline drank down the last of her coffee, and then rose from the table, and went back into the bedroom where Laura was standing in the corner, clad in only an chemise undershirt that just reached to the top of her waist, leaving her bare crimson behind on display. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were red & puffy, and she was sniffling with her nose all stuffed up.

"Here Laura, blow!" instructed Caroline, handing her daughter a handkerchief, before walking over to the chair and picking up Laura's pink calico dress and draping it over her arm. "Come here!"

With a worried expression, Laura walked over to her mother, but sighed in relief as Caroline enveloped her into a loving hug. "I'm sorry that this was necessary, but I hope that you are learning your lesson, so this doesn't happen again!"

"Yes, Ma!" promised Laura, as Caroline took the pink calico dress draped over her arm, and slipped it on over her head, and then turned Laura around to button up the back. "All right young lady, go up to the loft, and stand in the corner & wait for your Pa. He'll be up to 'talk' with you soon!"

Laura nodded as she left her parents bedroom, and as she entered the main room, both Charles & Mary looked up at her, with Mary shooting her a look of sympathy. Laura nodded gratefully as she climbed the ladder up into the loft, and stood in the corner waiting for her father. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps on the ladder and her heart sank as she saw her father climbing into the loft carrying a leather strap.

"You going to give me a licking, Pa?" Laura murmured confirming her worst fears as her father nodded grimly.

"Yes I am, Half-Pint." Charles declared as he came into the loft, and walked over to the corner where Laura was standing . "You know you deserve a good whipping, don't you?"

"Yes, Pa, I know!" replied Laura quietly. "But Ma already gave me a spanking!"

Standing next to Laura, Charles turned her around, and lifted up the back of her dress to look at her well-spanked red behind. "And did a pretty thorough job from the looks of it, and from what I could hear, all the way out in the barn!"

"But you're still going to skin me, anyway?"

"Yes, Half-Pint, I am!" confirmed Charles, as he let the back of Laura's dress fall back down. "I told you before that you & I were going to have a 'discussion' about lying & stealing, and hiding things from your parents – and the fact that your Ma spanked you too, doesn't change that or get you out of the licking you've got coming from me. Do you understand?"

Laura nodded sadly as her father cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Now I know that your Ma gave you a sound spanking already," Charles said as he took Laura by the arm and led her over to the bed, where he began stacking pillows up into one mountainous pile. "But I still intend to give you a really good whipping tonight – one that you will** NEVER** forget! And at least for the next week or two, everytime you try to sit down – especially on those hard wooden benches at school & church, you will remember this licking and be reminded of this lesson you learned about lying and stealing and letting innocent people like Anna, be hurt just to try to cover up your mistakes & bad decisions and hide them from your parents!"

"Yes, Pa, I understand." answered Laura sadly as tears started to pool in her eyes, and roll down her cheeks.

Charles shook his head. "Now, none of that, Half-Pint!" he scolded, as he lifted up the hem of Laura's dress. Holding it out of the way with one hand, with the other hand, Charles propelled Laura face-down onto the bed, on top of the pile of pillows, so that her bare bottom was sticking up, straight out into the air – a perfect target for punishment, before he continued speaking. "I'd be saving those tears if I were you, young lady, you're going to be needing them pretty soon!"

"Yes Pa!" snuffled Laura, trying to keep from crying.

Once Laura was properly situated, Charles tucked the hem of Laura's dress underneath her shoulders so it wouldn't get in the way during the punishment. Then, with one hand on Laura's back to hold her in position, he raised his other hand up as high, as he could, before bringing it crashing down on Laura's crimson behind with a sharp THUDDING SMACK that reverberated throughout the Little House, like the boom of a gunshot.

Despite how many times as Laura had been spanked by her father over the years, yet even still, the intense burn of a smack from his strong but rough & callused work-hardened hand, STILL caught her by surprise, and she gasped loudly, her eyes filling with tears, as she cried out with an ear-piercing "AUGGHHHHHHH!"

Downstairs, Mary, who was doing her homework at the dining table, cringed in sympathy for her sister, trying to keep from wincing visibly, at each smack and Laura's howls in response.

But in all honesty, Charles was NOT spanking her that hard – or at least not as hard as he had originally intended, before he realized what a thorough job his wife had done. But yet, even the gentlest smacks were still painful on Laura's bruised red behind, and Charles wanted to teach his daughter a lesson she would never forget. So he just tried to block out Laura's wails, and focus on the responsibility at hand, as he laid spank after stinging spank on Laura's bottom and thighs.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

After a dozen spanks, Charles paused. Laura's backside was now beyond red, and she was once again sobbing hysterically & gasping for breath. Charles let her cry for a few moments, before he picked up the leather strap, and doubled it over in his hand, creating a long double loop,

All right Half-Pint," Charles said, putting one hand down on the middle of his daughter's back to hold her in position. "It's time for your whipping now. I want you to grab the other side of the bed, or your bedcovers with your hands, and make sure that you hold on tight. Because if you put your hands back at any time, each time you do, we are going to start all over again, from the beginning. And I seriously do NOT think your rear-end can handle any extra licks – and I really don't want to have to give them to you! But I will if you earn them. So please don't! Just hold on tight and keep your hands away from your backside, no matter how much it hurts. You can cry & scream as much as you need, but please do NOT reach back, all right?"

"Y-y-yes Pa!" gasped Laura through her sobs as her father reared his arm back as far as he could before letting the thick looping strip of leather fly through the air, with a hissing swish before crashing into his daughter's bottom.

CRRAAACCKKKKKKKKKK!

Laura shrieked at the top of her lungs as a red-hot fiery line of pain sizzled across her behind "YEOWWWWWWWWW!" she cried out, as her father immediately whipped the strap across her behind again, without even giving her a chance to catch her breath after the first swat.

THHWWAACCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

"AUGGHHHHHHH!" screeched Laura with an ear-piercing yell, as Charles delivered the second smack, directly below where the first swat had hit, and where a reddish welt was already popping up right on top of a purplish bruise from her mother's hairbrush.

Charles whipped the strap across Laura's bottom & thighs, and although he hated seeing his daughter, his little "Half-Pint" in such pain, he intended to teach her a lesson she would never forget. And even though Charles deliberately made sure to whip Laura more gently than he ordinarily would have, because she had already gotten a sound spanking from her mother, it made no difference in the end result – the pain and burn was just as intense as if the whipping had been the same as usual. So he steeled himself against her sobs & screams and reared his arm back before letting the looped leather strap fly through the air, cracking into Laura's behind again & again.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

Laura screamed & wailed, drumming her feet against the side of the bed as the vicious loop of leather bit into her bottom & thighs, over & over, raising more & more whitish blisters & reddish welts on her behind with each & every lick of the strap. Her entire backside was burning and felt hot enough to fry an egg. Laura sobbed as she grippped the bedcovers & the bedframe, tightly in her hand, holding on for dear life. She was grasping them so hard, that her knuckles were practically turning white, as she resisted the intense urge to reach back & massage her sizzling hindquarters – knowing if she did so, the whipping would start all over again from the beginning. Having learned the hard way in the past, that her Pa WOULD follow through with that threat, Laura just gritted her teeth, and screwed her eyes shut tight, hoping it would be over soon.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

Slowly but methodically, Charles whipped the leather strap HARD across every inch of Laura's backside, from the top of her bottom, all the way to the ends of her thighs. He planted each new lick right below the previous swat, making sure to cover the entire area of her behind & thighs – especially concentrating on the "sit-spot", the crease between the buttocks & thighs. Knowing from his own personal experience how difficult it was to have to sit all day on the hard wooden benches at school, with a sore bottom, Charles wanted Laura to also remember this whipping everytime she tried to sit down, at least for the next week or two, in the hope that the lessons of WHY she got the licking would sink in. So Charles deliberately focused on the "sit-spot", lashing the strap harder in that area, bringing up reddish weals on top of the bruises left by his wife's hairbrush.

"Are you learning your lesson, Laura?" demanded Charles, as he whipped the leather strap across the middle of his daughter's thighs and she shrieked shrilly through her tears. "Are you EVER going to steal from ANYONE again?"

"N-n-n-no, Pa!" Laura gasped trying desperately to catch her breath. "I p-p-p-promise!"

Charles lifted the strap again, cracking it into her thigh, before speaking. "You sure, about that, are you, Half-Pint?

"Y-y-y-yes Pa!"

"Not even from Nellie?" Charles queried. "Not even if its something you've always wanted, like that music box? Not even if its something you think the person doesn't care about at all?"

Laura shook her head, still sobbing, "N-n-no!" she stuttered through her tears. "N-n-not even t-t-t-then!"

"Are you positive, young lady? You're never going to steal again, no matter what the reason?"

"N-n-n-no Pa!" promised Laura fervently in the hope that these questions from her father meant that her whipping was over. "I-I-I'll n-never s-s-steal! I p-p-p-promise!"

"How about blackmailing?" asked Charles. "Are you ever going to let someone blackmail you just to try to cover up something you've done? Will you ever let someone blackmail you into hurting an innocent person like you did with Anna?"

"N-n-no, Pa!"

"And what are you going to do if someone tries to blackmail you about something you've done?" demanded Charles. "Are you going to let them blackmail you, just to cover it up?"

Laura shook her head, still crying.

"So what are you going to do in the future, if someone blackmails you?"

"C-c-come to you or Ma, and tell you the truth!" answered Laura. "A-a-admit what I've done and t-t-take my p-p-p-punishment!"

Charles raised the strap again, as Laura, sensing her father's movement, and knowing it meant the brief respite was over, screwed her eyes shut tight, gritting her teeth, and clenching & unclenching her sore bottom in fearful anticipation of the next swat.

"I hope so, Half-Pint!" Charles said, gently brushing the leather strap against Laura's sore behind as she squealed. "I sure hope so. Otherwise, you are going to find yourself right back here in this same position – with your backside bared & getting your hide tanned. Is that clear?"

"Y-y-yes Pa!""

"And hear me clearly, young lady...IF there IS ever a next time, the whipping you'll be getting then, will be EVEN WORSE for you, and will make today's licking seem like a walk by the lake on a sunny spring day! Do you hear me? I will not be going easier on you next time around, like I have this time," stated Charles sternly. "You probably didn't even realize it with your bottom being as sore as it is, but because your Ma had already given you a sound spanking, I went a lot easier on you with this licking – and I didn't whip you as hard or give you as many swats as I usually would. But if there's a next time, then I will NOT make that same mistake again. Do you understand?"

Laura nodded, shivering a little, through her tears. "Y-y-yes Pa!" she cried "I u-u-u-understand!"

"I certainly hope so!" Charles reared his arm back as far as he could before flicking his wrist with a snap and letting the looping strip of leather fly with a hissing swish.

CRRAAACCKKKKKKKKKK!

"YEEOWWWW!" Laura thrashed her head, letting out an ear-piercing screech as a fiery line of pain suddenly sizzled across the middle of her bottom. But her father just continued delivering intense red-hot burning swats, one right after the other. And given that Charles had already covered the entire area of Laura's bottom & thighs during the whipping so far, Laura screamed in agony as some of the new licks criss-crossed on top of previous swats and the welts they had left in their wake,

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

Charles paused for a moment, clearing his throat before speaking. "All right Half-Pint, your whipping is almost over," he promised. "This is going to be the last swat. But hang on tight, because I intend to make this lick the hardest one of all, and if you put your hand back now, we''ll have to start all over, and I don't want that. All right?"

Laura nodded without a word, as she was crying uncontrollably. Charles reared his arm back, and flicking his wrist with a snap, he whipped the leather strap across Laura's behind sharply, as HARD as he possibly could – wanting to make it the most painful and most memorable swat of the whole licking.

THHWWAACCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

"YEEAAUGGHHHHHHH!" shrieked Laura, as she threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs, so loud that it almost seemed as if the Little House actually shook from the reverberation of her scream.

All right Half-Pint, your whipping is over now." Charles said, as he put the strap down on a chair, and walked over to his daughter, who was crying hysterically. Laura was a screaming, sobbing mess. Her braids had become messy & disheveled. Laura's face was red & wet, covered with tears, and snot dripped from her nose. Charles handed Laura his handkerchief.

"Here, Laura!" he murmured. "Wipe your face and blow your nose."

Laura did as Charles said, but because she continued crying, her face was soon wet with tears all over again. Charles took his daughter in his arms and held her as she sobbed, crying as if her heart would break – both out of remorse & guilt for what she had done, and more specifically, what she had allowed to be done to Anna, as well as from the pain in her throbbing backside. Laura's bottom & thighs were a deep crimson red, and covered with purplish bruises, whitish blisters & bright red welts. Charles held Laura as she buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing as her father rocked her in his arms, stroking her hair, and murmuring comforting words to her.

"There there, its all over now. Shh...its okay. Your licking is over." crooned Charles softly. "It's okay, Half-Pint, its all over now!"

When Laura's sobs started lessening, and she was beginning to calm down a little, Charles gently eased Laura off of him, and back on to the bed and stood up. "Okay Half-Pint, I'm going to go back downstairs and give you a little time to be alone, and compose yourself. Once you've calmed down, I want you to start getting ready for bed."

Laura looked at her father through her tears, with a quizzical expression, as Charles nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, young lady. Because you're going to be going to bed without your supper, tonight!" Charles told his daughter, whose eyes filled with tears, of which, two fat tears rolled down Laura's wet cheeks.

Charles shook his head sternly. "Now lets have none of that, young lady. You know you've earned this punishment."

"I k-k-know, Pa!" sobbed Laura. "B-b-b-but I'm s-s-s-so h-h-h-hungry!"

"That's too bad!" Charles said as he picked the strap up from the chair, and headed towards the ladder. "But hopefully going to bed with a sore bottom & an empty & hungry stomach, will teach you a good lesson, and you'll always remember this licking and remember that lying & stealing will NEVER be tolerated – no matter WHAT the reason!"

"Y-y-y-yes, Pa!" Laura gasped through her sobs as Charles spoke again.

"And first thing in the morning, you and I are going to go to the Mercantile, and tell Mr. Oleson what you did, and take whatever punishment he decides to add to what you've gotten from your Ma, and me!"

Still crying, Laura sighed in resigned acceptance. "Yes, Pa!" she said meekly.

"Now I'm going downstairs to give you a little while alone to compose yourself & calm down. Then I want you to change into your nightgown and get ready for bed," instructed Charles. "When I come back up here, I expect to see you changed and ready to sleep."

"Yes Pa!"

Charles climbed down the ladder and returned the strap to the nail on the wall where it hung, before pouring himself a cup of coffee and sitting down at the table.

"Supper's all ready, Charles." Caroline said, carrying a covered pot to the table. "Just got to bring it all in."

"Sounds good Caroline!"

Caroline turned to her husband and eldest daughter. "Why don't you two get washed up for supper while I get it on the table?"

Closing her books and stacking them on her slate before putting them away carefully, Mary nodded as she and her father walked over to the washbasin to wash their hands and face.

A couple minutes later, Caroline called out to them. "Okay supper's ready. Come and sit down," she said as the three of them sat down at the table.

"What about Carrie?" asked Charles.

"She fell asleep, while Mary was reading to her and you were out in the barn. I didn't have the heart to wake her for supper, so I just put her straight to bed." explained Caroline. "She was fast asleep. Its okay though. She'll be okay. I've kept some food aside for her, and if she wakes up later and is hungry I can give it to her then!"

Charles eyed his wife curiously. "You set some food aside for Carrie?" he asked. "Or for Laura?"

"For Carrie!"

"You sure, Caroline?" demanded Charles looking at Caroline suspiciously. "Because I meant what I said. Laura is going to bed without supper, tonight! She needs to be taught a lesson! She has to learn lying and stealing will not be tolerated – no matter what the reason!"

Caroline nodded in approval "I know, Charles. I agree with you!" she said. "Now lets just say the grace and get to this supper before it gets cold. Mary, will you say the blessing please?

"Yes Ma!" agreed Mary obediently. "Bless us, O Lord, for these gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. And for the bounty laid before us, may we be thankful. Dear Lord, bless this food to our use, And us to thy loving service. May we use the food set before us to nourish our bodies, and the belief in Thee to nourish our souls. Fill our hearts with grateful praise, and help us to be mindful of all our blessings & the needs of those who have less. In the name of Christ our Lord, we pray, Amen."

"Amen!" Charles & Caroline repeated in unison.

"So what's for supper, Ma?" Mary asked as her Caroline handed a covered pot to Charles to fill their plates. "It sure smells good!"

"Beef stew"

"Laura's favorite!" noted Mary as Caroline sighed regretfully.

"I know. I made it before I knew..."

Meanwhile, up in the loft, Laura had, very gingerly, changed out of her pink calico dress, and into her nightgown. But because even the weight of the thin nightdress fabric on her sore bottom hurt too much, she was lying facedown on her bed, with the back of her nightgown pulled up to the middle of her back almost all the way up to her shoulders, leaving her completely bare from the middle of her back, on down, with her well-punished crimonred backside on display.

Hearing the clinking of silverware against her mother's china, as the delicious aromas of dinner wafted up into the loft and her stomach growled hungrily in response, Laura buried her face in her pillow & cried uncontrollably, bawling as if her heart would break, using her pillow to muffle the sounds.

"_Beef Stew_!" thought Laura miserably. "_They're having beef stew, my favorite! Why, tonight of all nights did Ma have to make beef stew?_"

With her face buried in her pillow, Laura sobbed & sobbed, both from the pain in her aching behind, and from remorse & guilt for what she had done, as well as from missing out on one of her favorite meals. She cried and cried as downstairs, supper continued as usual, without interruption.

Eventually, supper was finished, and as Mary helped her mother clear the table and do the dishes, Laura heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the ladder, and knew that her father was coming up into the loft.

"Half-Pint?"

"Yes, Pa!" asked Laura, lifting her head from her pillow, as her father came over to her bedside.

"I'm glad to see that you obeyed, and are all ready for bed as I told you to be." Charles said as he held out Laura's bloomers. "Here, your Ma wanted me to give you these."

Laura's became teary-eyed at the thought of having to pull her bloomers up over her sore backside. "Please Pa, dont make me wear them!" she begged. "It hurts too much to put them on!"

"That's too bad, Half-Pint!" said Charles quietly. "But you cannot stay undressed like that. I gave you time to compose yourself & get over your punishment. And now you need to put your bloomers back on and pull your dress back down. You've had plenty of time to cry, and now you need to stop and start making yourself decent, again."

"Please Pa, not yet!" cried Laura. "I'm so sore!"

Charles shook his head grimly. "I'm sorry, Half-Pint!" he answered. "But you're going to be mighty sore for days, maybe even a week or two, and you cannot stay like this all that time, just because it hurts!"

"Just for tonight then?" suggested Laura, her watery eyes red-rimmed and puffy. "Please Pa, just for tonight?"

Charles paused for a moment, thinking. "All right," he relented. "I suppose its okay for tonight – but ONLY JUST for tonight! Is that clear? Tomorrow morning when you come down to breakfast, I expect you to be completely dressed, with your bloomers & petticoats, regardless of how sore you are. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Pa!" Laura said as Charles put her bloomers away with her other clothes, before coming & sitting next to her on the bed.

"Half-Pint, I'm sorry that your Ma & I needed to be so tough on you, but you know you deserved this whipping, don't you?"

With a heavy sigh, Laura nodded. "Yes Pa," she mumbled. "I know."

Charles put his hand on Laura's back, stroking her hair & her back & rubbing her throbbing bottom a little, as she winced. "And have you learned a lesson from all of this?"

"Yes Pa!"

"That's good!" praised Charles. "I hope you mean that, Half-Pint. Because as much as your Ma & I hate having to punish you & your sisters, still we will as long as any of you make it necessary. And whether you are 12, or 15, or 18, as long as you girls are living under our roof, you will behave, follow the rules & obey or you will continue to get spankings or even lickings until you learn your lesson. Do you hear me?"

"Yes Pa!" replied Laura.

"All right then, its bedtime." Charles stated firmly. "Your Ma will be up to say goodnight to you as soon as she & Mary finish up the supper dishes. But go sleep. You've got a long day tomorrow, starting with going to the Mercantile first thing in the morning."

Laura sighed heavily, dreading what might happen the next morning when Mr. Oleson, and especially Mrs. Oleson found out about her theft. Yes Pa!" she said as Charles stood up and walked over to the ladder.

"Night, Half-Pint!" Charles said as he started climbing down the ladder

"Night, Pa!" murmured Laura as she snuggled her head into the pillow. Exhausted over the events over the last several days, including the several sleepless nights due to nightmares, Laura was fast asleep almost as soon as she'd closed her eyes – and when Caroline came up into the loft, several minutes later to say good-night, Laura was already in a deep sleep. She didn't even stir as Caroline stroked her disheveled braids, and caressed her damp, tear-stained face, before descending down the ladder of the loft.

To Be Continued...

Next Chapter: "A Visit to Oleson's Mercantile"


End file.
